The Addressee wrote:
My Comments appended.
CONVENTION LAW OR MARSHAL LAW IS?
On April 7, 2000, Jay Hanson sent an email to Robert Hickerson and
others. Hickerson sent it on to STEVEHUMAN and others, I being one of
them.
There are various statements of Hanson that, from the viewpoint of a
member of Technocracy Inc., a scientific, educational-research
organization, are worthy of comments. This piece will restrict itself to
two of them.
In the first paragraph, Hanson writes about Paul Ehrlich’s concern about
the “carrying capacity” of an area. Unless someone can come up with
another source, Technocracy must be recognized as the first to call this
serious matter to the public attention. In this respect Technocracy must
be considered the mother of the environment movement. One can find
Technocracy’s stand in its 1946 article “The Ecology of Man” which one
can read in the official Technocracy’s official web site which will be
noted below. For a hard copy: Write to CHQ, Technocracy Inc., 2475
Harksell, Ferndale, WA 98248. One can also reach Technocracy by phone:
360-366-1012 or by email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
In Hanson’s fourth paragraph, he contends that only by marshal law could
the U.S. reduce its consumption by 95 percent. Hanson’s statement is
over simplified. Whether we have marshal law or conventional law, by
reducing consumption in our socioeconomic structure, our “Price
System,” employment is correspondently reduced. Because 95 percent
reduction in consumption will so drastically affect employment it will
create a state of panic whether we have marshal or conventional law.
It appears that Technocracy is alone in realizing that because we
function with a Price System in our advanced technological age, the
“change in the time rate of doing work” has forced us to be gluttons.
Just why is this so?
In primitive colonial times our nation’s production was strictly
hand-tool. Think of this: For centuries metal – ferrous and others – was
fashioned by the blacksmith with a sledge hammer and anvil, strictly
hand-tool. Nobody uses that method today. It was replaced by a
drop-forge and it turns out that drop-forges with a mere “look-see”
skeleton crew has replaced the old hand-tool huge workforce that existed
for centuries. In modern times, the work force need in metal
fabrication per unit of production is trivial in comparison what it used
to take.
I’m 87, born in 1912. While I don’t remember the exact year, it probably
was 1921 that our class went on a field trip to the telephone company
and I have a vivid recollection of it. Banks of women at switch boards
doing hand-tool, grueling, monotones, tedious work. Now what? Computers,
with a skeleton “look see” force have replaced that multitude of
hand-tool people who composed the old workforce.
Our technology with a skeleton “look see” work force produces a plethora
of goods. Our Price System requires that these goods are moved from
inventory to consumer; failing this, the system collapses. In order to
avoid a panic condition we have to be consumer gluttons.
Where can one study this reduction of the work force and its effect on
our society? Log onto Technocracy’s official web site,
<www.technocracy.org> and, beside reading other articles, especially
read M. King Hubbert’s “Man-Hours and Distribution.” Additionally log
onto <www.technocracysf.org> and click on MENU and especially read “A
Commentary to Jim Lehrer.”
Before closing this piece, it will be beneficial to consider one other
matter. There are a variety of groups that focus on the fact that not to
distant in the future oil reserves will have reached such a low point
that the existence of our scientific-technological age will be
threatened. Everyone of these groups fails to realize that whatever is
done to adjust to the shortage of oil but still leave intact our
socioeconomic structure, our Price System, nothing has really been done
to solve our problem. Hopefully, each one of these groups will study
just how our Price System must be dumped if we are to have any future at
all.
End of addressees post:
==================================
Ed G's Comments:
The origin and history of the "sustainability concept is appreciated.
I would like to address the question posed.
"It appears that Technocracy is alone in realizing that because we
function with a Price System in our advanced technological age, the
“change in the time rate of doing work” has forced us to be gluttons.
Just why is this so?"
It is the nature of our money system that drives us to production and
consumption to gluttony.
Those among us who are deprived of capital do not consider our consumption
of the necessities and amenities gluttony.
Each individual partner of the process is motivated by the spectre of
bankruptcy not only to continue playing the part, but also maintain one's
competative economic place in it. Those fortunate to have risen above that
level are those who play their part as a game. A game of power and prestige
and manipulation.
We are "bonded" to the money system.
Peace and goodwill
Ed G
Ed Goertzen,
Oshawa
